A/B testing for email marketing

28 September 2009 | Dominic Sawyer

We manage numerous email marketing campaigns for our travel clients, either directly or working closely with PR and marketing agencies.

These include a number of B2B campaigns reaching out to the media and trade.

It’s not the purpose of this post to discuss how to present a story to generate interest. Suffice to say the media and trade receive a deluge of press releases many of our clients have found a simple design with a few images stand them apart. Of course recipients also receive a text version if preferred.

I’ve talked briefly before about the importance of a subject line in achieving the first step of a recipient actually opening the email.

Something we’ve been advising and implementing more lately is A/B testing for subject lines. Two subject lines are created - a subset of the subscriber list receives Subject Line A, another subset receives Subject Line B.

The open rates of both are then monitored for a period of time. The subject line that leads to the most opens is selected as the winner and all remaining recipients receive this subject line.

It’s a simple and quick way to improve your content a

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Director & Web Producer

Since 2000 Dominic has had lead roles in creative design, web programming, project management and online marketing. He set up Dot Tourism in 2006 to mix his passion for digital with travel.

When he's not working Dominic is probably running along the seafront or playing Call of Duty.